what can i expect in the snow

[Rhod]

Friday was the first time I'd driven the Bongo in snow. All the advice above holds true, but additionally I found that careful use of Hold & S gear position reduced the need for braking going into corners (Spean Bridge - Laggan road - past Wolftrax - for those that know it) and gave more confidence that the front end wasn't going to slide. The main disconcerting thing I found, on a twisting road, was that the increasing revs as the autobox changed up sounded/felt disconcertingly like loss of traction on a manual box. Possibly keeping it in hold would have reduced that but I was trying to keep the revs as low as I could.

Overall though she was a steady as a rock & as good as anything else I've driven in snow - including some "off-roaders"
Rhod

[bighairypict]

I was in the snow again today and fully concur with Rhod (I'm learning how to do this) thanks again for the advice folks .

the confidence took a boost as I passed an LDV van that had gone in the ditch maybe 30-45 minutes ealier (too fast into the corner, breaking too late and too hard - "oops what corner!?!" - straight into the ditch at the other side, good job there was nothing coming! ).

it's really not what you've got as much as how you handle it - the Bongo presents no additional hazard

[trevd01]

Didn't bother driving to Manchester today...

Snow hits the roads

Jan 9 2008 by Neil Atkinson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SNOW and high winds brought problems for drivers today.

There were reports of heavy snowfalls on moorland roads above Huddersfield, including the A6024 Holme Moss route and the A635 Greenfield Road.

Gale force winds were also a problem with the trans-Pennine stretch of the M62 badly affected between Ainley Top and Windy Hill.

Drivers were advised to take extra care on the roads and to check the weather forecast and road conditions before they travel as the Met Office is forecasting spells of wet and windy weather across many parts of England this week.

Winds will reach gale or severe gale force, particularly over northern England, today and tomorrow. The wind will bring some heavy outbreaks of rain, perhaps accompanied by snow on the highest trans-Pennine routes, which could affect driving conditions.

The A6024 Holme Moss route and the A635 Greenfield Road are my two normal routes to Manc.

[karena]

not enough snow to tell about driving the bongo, but we had some very freaky weather up in the dales last night.
It suddenly got very windy then loads of lightning followed by hail snow and thunder I seriousely thought the roof had come off in the wind because the hail (golf ball sized) sounded like it was on the ceiling.
Naturally there was a powercut but it didn,t just go out it kept flashing on and off before finally giving in, the phones were also off both land and mobile.The whole thing seems to have occurred within about a three mile radius it was like something from the apoccolipse very scary.

[Harry]

The same storm came through over Grange...I got caught out in it in the bongo...had to pull over cos I couldn't see where I was going.

Bloody deafaning hail....thought my sunroof was going to get smashed.

Cars all over the place driving on the 1" deep hail but 'Our Freda' didn't make a slip.

H

[Rhod]

Well, being at home for a change this weekend, I naturally had to take the Bongo out for a proper test in the snow - previous experimentation being restricted by the need to actually get to a destination through the blizzard!

Due to the local council being on strike, even the main (non-trunk) roads had an inch of snow on them & the minor road up Loch Aweside only had a few tyre tracks through 3" snow- which ended half-way up the first hill! This hill usually knocks me down to 2nd in the Berlingo, so I was intersted to see how the Bongo would perform. Left in D she just slogged slowly up the hill at about 2000 rpm with never a slip, even on the corners. Same story on the rest of the hills - with just the occasional momentary slip which never came close to losing traction & was mainly the result of me experimenting with the throttle. Even usually 2nd gear ascents were descended quite securely with L1 & hold selected. The only other vehicle that we met that wasn't defeated by the hills (all 2wd) was a hatchback with chains.

Conclusion - even with standard tyres the Bongo is more than capable in snow & with a set of chains, or even just proper winter tyres, I doubt if there's much that would stop it. Those with a Limited Slip Diff (or 2) would obviously be even more efficient.
Rhod

[motorwizard]

went skiing in January in Alpe deHuez The final section after Grenoble was snow covered and the final climb to Alpe de Huez which has 23 hairpins and climbs about 1000 metres was snow covered. I fitted chains to the rear. The first half was no problem and I thought the chains were not necessary but then I started to pass cars that were stopped and the owners putting chains on The van climbed with no problem the only difficult moment was when I came up to a junction and a hairpin bend there was a bus stopped on the bend and I could not see around it, I drove on around the bus fortunately nothing came down, The bus driver was struggling to put chains on.
I would say it is a good vehicle for those conditions. The climb is used in the Tour de France and It is hard to believe you can cycle up it. I would find it a hard walk.

[bigdaddycain]

I'm of the opinion that the actual tyres used in such conditions make little of no difference as to whether one makes it to the top of the hill or not,yes, rally drivers in a stage in finland are looking to shave of a tenth of a second here,a 100th of a second there...then the tyre choice is crucial,but us everyday folk are simply trying to get where we are going,without any drama,and in one piece. (no matter how slowly we have to travel to acheive that)

A pedal stomper in a 4wd bongo, will not get as far up that same hill as the 2wd bongo driver with a good sense of what's going on with the tyres...

I'd say that driver skill,and dexterity has more bearing on whether one reaches that summit,than the tyre choice,or 4wd...

(BDC's bongo 4wd,225/45/18 toyo's.)

[helen&tony]

Hi Ste.
Couldn't agree more!!!
Helen

[trevd01]

A pedal stomper in a 4wd bongo, will not get as far up that same hill as the 2wd bongo driver with a good sense of what's going on with the tyres...

I'd say that driver skill,and dexterity has more bearing on whether one reaches that summit,than the tyre choice,or 4wd...

(BDC's bongo 4wd,225/45/18 toyo's.)

Totally agree, but in the hands of a skilled driver the tyres will make a difference. What you need in deep/soft/wet snow is 'self cleaning' tread so the tyre dont end up as smooth icy circles... Or on icy compacted snow, studs.

[bigdaddycain]

Totally agree, but in the hands of a skilled driver the tyres will make a difference.

Without a doubt...